Langharige sint-bernard Gross-Glockner die een eerste en speciale prijs heeft gewonnen op de Internationale Ausstellung von Jagd und Luxus Hunden in 1891 1891

This is a photograph from 1891, showing a long-haired St. Bernard that won a prize at the International Exhibition of Hunting and Luxury Dogs in Frankfurt. The dog, framed by an oval, echoes the classical portraits of antiquity and the Renaissance. But here, it’s not a human hero; it’s a dog, elevated to a symbol of loyalty and breed excellence. Dogs, since ancient times, have been associated with fidelity, guardianship, and even guides to the underworld, like Cerberus. In this image, however, we see a gentler, more domesticated symbolism emerging. This symbol evolves, as dogs become increasingly intertwined with human domestic life, mirroring our values and emotional needs. The powerful image of the loyal dog, like the St. Bernard, becomes a projection of our desires for companionship and unconditional love. Consider how this image resonates with our primal desire for connection, tapping into a collective memory of the human-animal bond.